Shift Stick Assembly Install - Get Your Shift Together

Hurst’s Billet/Plus 2 Shifter for the 5th-Gen Camaro

By now, all of you who read Super Chevy should have a pretty good idea about how cool the fifth-gen Camaro is. Chevrolet has done a stellar job making the car feel like a muscle car of the past, with gobs of power and retro styling. One area that could use some immediate attention if you have a manual transmission is the stock shifter.

Even though the six-speed transmission works well, the factory shifter leaves a lot to be desired. Around town it'll suffice, but in any aggressive driving situation it doesn't perform to the same high level as the rest of the vehicle. Downshifting going into a corner is particularly bad. There's too much play, too much flex, and little accuracy. Same goes for powershifting at the strip. Hurst Shifters has been improving transmission performance for decades by creating better short-throw units, which helps drivers get better track times.

When Chevrolet finally released the fifth-gen Camaro, Hurst jumped right on it and created the Billet/Plus 2 shifter for manual trans-equipped V-6 and V-8 models. We have seen a bunch of new Camaros at autocross events with the Hurst shifter being used, and the owners all rave about its performance. We decided it was high time for us to see what all the hype is about. We grabbed one of the units and took it over to Hotchkis Suspension to install on their fifth-gen test mule. The installation was pretty straightforward, not requiring any obscure toolsùjust standard stuff. One thing to note with this job is that the bulk of the work is done from under the car, so you will need a jack and some stands or a lift to get it in.

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Shift Stick Assembly Install - Get Your Shift Together

1 Here is what you get in the Billet/Plus 2 shifter box. The heart of the shifter is a CNC-machined stainless steel stick assembly with a Teflon-lined spherical pivot bearing. Hurst also includes two bolt-on upper sticks, one that is made to reuse the stock shift ball, and a classic chrome plated stick with white knob. Not shown in the picture, but Hurst also offers a pistol-grip-style top section if that is more your speed. We are partial to the classic chrome stick and white ball.

2 We enlisted the help of Kevin McGlynn, junior engineer at Hotchkis, to do all the work. After popping off the center trim piece from the console with a panel removal tool, Kevin unscrewed the shift boot cover assembly.

3 Lifting that up allowed him to use two screwdrivers to pry up on the factory shift knob to remove it. The boot is attached to the shift knob so it will come off as one unit.

4 Then the car was put on the lift so he could access the lower area of the shifter assembly. There is a lower dust boot at the bottom of the shifter assembly casting that needs to be removed to expose the lower shifter change rod connection. Then Kevin could remove the connection pin clips (arrow) on both sides of the lower shifter lever. Be careful not to damage the clips, as they will be re-used.

5 With the pin out, he could then remove the two 10mm bolts holding the shifter assembly in place.

7 After applying a thick coat of the supplied grease, the Billet/Plus unit slips right in.

8 Hurst also supplies a small tube of thread locking compound that must be applied to the new hardware before installation. With those bolts tight, the car was lowered back down so we could focus on installing the handle and knob.

9 Like we stated earlier, Hurst provides two different upper stick assemblies. The one on the right would be used if you want to retain your factory shift knob. We like the cool looks of a chrome stick and white ball (and the functionality of the ball), so we will install the Hurst stuff shown on the left.

10 Before the stick can be installed, one of the two provided rubber grommets needed to be slipped on. This grommet will become the new mounting point for the factory rubber seal.

11 The second rubber grommet, shown here, will become the mounting point for the shift boot, but more on that later. The chrome stick simply bolts to the lower piece with two Allen head bolts.

12 The boot is hooked to the factory shift knob with a zip tie, which needs to be cut off.

13 Hurst even provides a new zip tie so you can reattach the shift boot to the previously installed rubber grommet.

15 All that was left to do was spin on the new ball, line it up, and tighten the lower nut to lock it in place.

16 With that, the job was done. Aaron from Hotchkis took the car out for a drive and returned with a big smile. He said, “With the Hurst, the shifts feel more positive compared to the stock, mushy shifter. The shorter throw also feels right and allows for less time shifting and more time driving.” Not only does the new shifter look like a performance piece, it acts like one, too. The stock shift throw from First to Second was 6 inches. With the Hurst Billet/Plus 2 shifter it is now a scant 2.25 inches.